COMMENTARY | Charting the future toward financial resiliency

MANILA, Philippines — Financial resiliency is something that our nation has to continually strive for; it is more than just about building wealth, but about innovation, flexibility, perseverance, and expecting the unexpected, as well.

The Philippines is one of those at the top of list when it comes to climate-related risks, financial risks given our dependencies, and medical and health-related risks. Yet we were able to navigate through these—typhoons, the Asian financial crisis, and COVID-19.

Hence, there is no better inspiration for us when it comes to personal financial resiliency, than the macro-level resiliency of our economy. But what did we have in common? What did we do? Or perhaps a better question is, what else can we do?

We have many cities with dynamic and independent economies. We’re adaptive and flexible. We cooperate, we communicate. Believe it or not, we innovate, we think outside of the box. And last, but definitely not the least, we know that challenges are normal parts of life. It’s probably what keeps us going with so much energy and sometimes even excitement, knowing that we will resolve whatever issues that come our way.

Financing companies, like Global Dominion, was born amidst a crisis, due to high lending and financing demand from consumers. Talk about the financial crises and the many challenges with conflicts in different countries faced by overseas Filipino workers, not too far from the situations now. Global Dominion has pursued lending to the Filipinos through those years.

The financing company is said to be one of the first to resume its operations amidst the most recent pandemic, as it understood that during those difficult times, funding is critical for businesses to mobilize the economy.

“We went face-to-face with alcohol and face shields, remember that phase—just to talk to our customers, ask them how they were doing, and simultaneously assess their readiness to restart,” Global Dominion President and Managing Director Patricia Poco-Palacios shared.

She recently delivered a speech during the National Finance Congress (NFC) organized by De La Salle University’s Management of Financial Institutions Association (DLSU-MaFIA) in relation to financial resiliency, the heart of the event.

She said that at an individual level, we can show dynamism and diversity by exploring and testing various finance instruments and embrace new technology to realize that the new ways of doing things could be more effective for us. Making necessary provisions for uncontrollable events, and moving forward by supporting policy-creating bodies to help shape the future of the Philippine finance and the economy, can only help Filipinos become more financially resilient.

Rhaybien De San Jose, project head for Corporate Relations and External Relations of NFC, thanked Global Dominion for its contribution to the event and for imparting knowledge to the students and other members of the academe about financial competence and resiliency.

“GDFI's insights on adaptive financial practices and their commitment to fostering resilience have equipped us with the tools to better navigate the complexities of the financial landscape, especially during crisis,” De San Jose said.

“In a world filled with uncertainties, where economic tides can shift unpredictably, the ability to weather financial storms is not just advantageous but essential. To achieve true financial resiliency, we must start with a foundation of knowledge and understanding. We must educate ourselves about financial management, budgeting, and investing wisely,” Palacios said.

“Financial resiliency isn't merely about accumulating wealth; it's about building robustness and adaptability in our financial lives. It's about preparing ourselves to withstand unexpected challenges and emerge stronger on the other side,” she added, closing her speech at the NFC.

MaFIA is the duly recognized professional organization of De La Salle University that caters to the Management of Financial Institutions majors. The organization believes in nurturing the talents of its members by opening opportunities that would develop the best version of themselves through personal development, academic excellence, social awareness, and leadership.

Global Dominion has been in the lending and financing industry since 2003, offering vehicle mortgage loan (Sangla ORCR), car and truck financing, doctors’ loan, real estate mortgage loan and real estate financing. Its purpose is to ignite and accelerate growth of people and organizations to transform lives for the better.

About the Author: Aian Guanzon is the head of business development at Global Dominion. He has academic degrees in nursing, applied business economics, and marketing communications. Guanzon is certified in Lean Six Sigma, transformational coaching and data protection. He has years of experience and interest in outsourcing, finance and fintech.

Editor’s Note: This article is sponsored by Global Dominion. It is published by the Advertising Content Team that is independent from our Editorial Newsroom.